Period hacks are practices that will make your periods feel less like a burden.

Periods can suck. They can be painful and messy, yet we have to embrace it because periods are a part of womanhood. But does it really need to be bad all the time?

Every month, some of us are dreading our periods, especially during the summer when we plan out-of-town beach trips. Didn’t you know that there are period hacks to make your monthly period bearable? Make it suck less?

We’ve gathered information from the Internet for hacks you can do to make it a less problematic experience.

Comforting yoga poses

Child’s pose

The child’s pose stretches your back muscles and provides light compression at the belly, giving it a soothing massage. This is the best pose when you’re having abdominal and back cramps.

Just breath in and forget about the pain.

Personally, this is also my favorite yoga pose, whether or not I’m on my period. When I look down, it feels like the world doesn’t exist and I can just stay at that position forever.

Well, this is actually an ancient Chinese belief and I haven’t found a scientific study behind it. But ever since I got my very first period, I’ve been hearing this from elders and my personal experiences proved that they were right.

Cold foods such as ice cream may lead to severe cramps, further worsening the condition.

Eat veggies

When you have your period, do you crave for a juicy, medium-rare steak? Or don’t you just want to run to the drive-thru and order a Big Mac?

Here’s why: when you’re on your period your iron levels are down hence the craving for meat.

But did you know that vegetables can offer the same amount of iron?

Instead of reaching for a greasy burger, why not choose the healthier alternative? Spinach and kale are iron-rich foods, just like meat.

It’s better to stay off sugary drinks as it will spike your sugar levels and will just make you even more dehydrated than you already are.

Stay off caffeine

Last but not least, stay off caffeine or decrease your intake. Caffeine elevates the estrogen levels in the body. It’s also a diuretic, which means that you will urinate a lot, which will also exacerbate the symptoms of dehydration.

If you can’t say no to coffee, then have a little bit and then switch to tea for the rest of the day.